1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vending machines and more particularly to vending machines which allow for special combination pricing for multiple product purchases including multiple vending machines linked to one another by a common money-handler and/or product selection control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vending machines today dispense a wide variety of products. Examples are soft drinks in cans or bottles, candy, sandwiches, snacks, fruit, yogurt, toys, merchandise and tokens. Numerous other examples exist as well.
The structure and operation of vending machines continue to evolve to attempt to provide for the efficient and effective vending of such items. For example, there are different types of vending mechanisms, such as a vertical drop-type machine used many times with beverage cans, carousel-type machines used many times with food, and spiral delivery-type machines used many times with candy or smaller items.
Improvements and innovations continue regarding making the structure and mechanisms of individual machines better. Also, mechanisms to handle payment for the goods have changed and continue to advance. Such mechanisms can receive coins and bills, and even debit cards and credit cards.
While much effort has gone into improving individual machines, there has been very little attention focused on multiple vends including the use of multiple vending machines interacting with one another. Advances in the electrical and computer arts, which allow microprocessor or electronic controllers to reliably control the operation of vending machines, now make it possible to control multiple vending machines with a single controller.
For example, sometimes it is desirable to have more than one vending machine in certain locations. Many times this is because of inherent limitations of most vending machines; they cannot exceed a certain size and, therefore, one machine cannot have unlimited inventory or selections. Also, some companies either own proprietary vending machines or require only its products in the machine. It is, therefore, not uncommon to see several vending machines side by side. Many times it is to provide the pubic selections of the same goods (e.g., soft drinks) from different companies. Thus, multiple machines may be needed.
Other situations have a variety of machines in the same location for more practical purposes. For example, many companies provide a break room or area with a variety of selections of snacks or beverages, such as fruit, candy, chips, soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea, bottled water, etc. Sometimes, what formerly was a cafeteria has been replaced with vending machines offering food including sandwiches, soaps, microwavable lunches, etc. Again, multiple machines are necessary because some require different functions, e.g., pouring hot beverages into an insulated cup versus providing a plurality of refrigerated food selections to the customer. As another alternative, the same factors can lead to a wider variety of product types being vended from a single machine. However, this results in less variety of each type of product.
Normally, each machine is built as a stand-alone, with its own money handling and selection system. Even machines made by the same vending machine manufacturer are normally made to be stand alone so that they can be used alone or alongside others, without having to rely on the operation components of other machines. There is also generally no incentive for competing manufacturers to make their machines in any way compatible with other manufacturers machines.
In an increasingly competitive market, such innovations have occurred. Attempts have been made to produce vending machines that are more desirable by business entities that buy vending machines and, thus, increase business for the machine manufacturers. Attempts have also been made to present products in a way that increase consumer selection of those products and, thus, increase the profitability of the companies that make and/or sell the products.
One of these innovations is the packaging of vendable goods in more attractive or attention grabbing containers, including a much wider variety of container shapes and styles. Beverages, mostly carbonated soft drinks, first were vended in glass bottles. Aluminum cans substantially replaced the bottles. However, today there has been a proliferation of not only different manufacturers of soft drinks, but also of different types of drinks. For example, bottled water, carbonated or not, is a popular consumer item. Juices and sports drinks also can be found in numerous brand names. Hybrid drinks, such as flavored ice tea or mixed juices, are also popular.
Previously, the limited numbers of types of drinks and manufacturers of drinks resulted in standard container sizes and configurations. Cylindrical standard sized aluminum can were the containers of choice. Vending machines were structurally configured to hold as many of the cans as possible, without much regard for allowing consumer to view the containers. The consumers knew all the container shapes were the same, therefore, they distinguished the vendable products primarily by brand name, logo, or colors. Thus, the vending machines could display many times in a relatively small area, the brand name, logo and/or colors for different choices.
However, today manufacturers may use different container sizes and configurations in addition to any of a wide variety of label types or container ornamentation to try to differentiate themselves from competitors. Some types of beverages tend to be bottled in similar types of containers to differentiate beverage type, but again labeling, surface ornamentation, and/or container configuration is used to differentiate the brands. Examples are the new thirty-two ounce soft drink bottles adapted by some manufacturers, the almost uniform use of clear glass for ice tea and juice-based drinks, and a variety of bottle configurations for bottled and flavored water. Cans remain the primary soft drink container, but unique and constantly changing labeling, ornamentation, and configurations are used and advertised again to try to grab and keep consumer attention. Thus, the consumer is presented with a wide range of product packaging configurations and ornamentation with respect to bendable items, as opposed to the past where no more than several package configurations were generally available.
Another one of those innovations is to utilize what will be called live displays of the produce in the machine. As is known, most can or bottle vending machines do not have actual physical examples of the products stored in the machine on display. It is generally assumed that the consuming public does not need to see the actual can or bottle or other container, but can rely on the brand name or logo displayed on the selection controller or otherwise on the machine. However, it has been practiced for years that to increase consumer demand for candy or other food that physical display of the actual product be made. This is most times done by revealing to the consumer the actual products as they sit in the display rack or in a dispensing mechanism by having windows that allow such viewing.
To date, vending machine companies have focused their attention on marketing advantages which can be derived from linking multiple vending machines together as well as improving the display and user interface. However, additional potential marketing benefits also exist. For example, implementation of special combination pricing for combination purchases or multiple purchases can be realized with both single and linked vending machines. Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus for and method of vending multiple products from single and linked vending machines which realizes the above-stated advantage.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved apparatus and method for vending multiple products.